Texas Tech's Brennan Moore makes a throw from left field as the Texas runner makes it to second during their game at Rip Griffin Park Thursday, April 5, 2012. (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Stephen Spillman)

Texas Tech's Jamodrick McGruder and Texas' Erich Weiss look for the call at third during their game at Rip Griffin Park Thursday, April 5, 2012. McGruder was safe on a triple base hit. (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Stephen Spillman)

For four innings, everything was lining up perfectly for Texas Tech. Trey Masek was mowing down No. 25 Texas left and right, Tech had gotten an early clutch hit and the crowd was as into the game as both teams.

Suddenly, in a manner that mirrored the last month for the Red Raiders, things changed in an instant, and UT did what it has done so many times — take advantage of opponent mistakes.

After being shut down the first four innings, the Longhorns scored all seven of their runs in a three-inning span thanks to walks and timely hitting, handing Tech a 7-4 loss in the opener of a Big 12 Conference series in front of 3,216 at Rip Griffin Park that saw head coach Dan Spencer ejected in the eighth inning for arguing a call at home plate.

“We were able to grind out some runs and scratch out some runs with extended rallies and extended at-bats after two strikes,” UT coach Augie Garrido said. “We did put some things together to give us those runs.

“You could see the difference in pitching with no runners on base and pitching with runners on base. That’s how fragile all pitchers are. All young pitchers struggle with experience.”

Tech (17-14, 2-8 in Big 12) had what it felt was the right guy on the mound to star the series in the sophomore right-hander Masek, who pitched six-plus scoreless innings against the Longhorns last year in Austin. And for 41/3 innings he was perfect — literally — in retiring the first 13 batters he faced.

But just as it appeared he was cruising, the wheels suddenly fell off. With a 1-0 lead thanks to a Barrett Barnes RBI double in the third, Masek issued back-to-back walks. He got a ground ball from Jacob Felts for a potential double play, but second baseman Jamodrick McGruder dropped the relay from shortstop Tim Proudfoot, loading the bases.

Taylor Stell tied the game with an RBI single to right, and Jordan Etier put the Longhorns (16-11, 6-1) up 2-1 with the third walk of the inning. The Longhorns did a good job of laying off close pitches, pitches Spencer felt were strikes and he let home plate umpire Mike Morris know his feelings about said pitches after the inning.

“I hate to use (the strike zone) as an excuse because as a pitcher it’s my job to go out there and throw strikes,” Masek said. “I wasn’t fatigued, I was just leaving balls up over the plate.”

Tech, however, temporarily stemmed the tied and retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth by getting one of the huge, two-out hits that had eluded it in conference play. With two outs, McGruder tripled to the wall in right-center. After UT intentionally walked Barnes, Scott LeJeune thwarted the strategy by ripping a three-run shot over the wall in right for his first home run of the season, putting the Red Raiders back up 4-2.

“I knew that wasn’t going to win the game at all and that we would have to keep on competing,” LeJeune said. “It showed out we needed some more runs.”

It didn’t take long for the Longhorns to take the lead back for good. A walk by Mark Payton ended Masek’s night, but reliever Brennan Stewart couldn’t put out the fire, giving up a single, a sac bunt and a two-run single by Brooks Marlow and a run-scoring double by Alex Silver to put the Longhorns up 5-4. Reliever Rusty Shellhorn allowed an RBI double by Stell before finally getting Tech out of the inning.

That would be all UT starter Nathan Thornhill (4-2) would need. Thornhill recovered from the LeJeune home run to go six innings, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Hoby Milner and Corey Knebel combined for three innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and striking out four.

“That could have been the end of the whole thing for (Thornhill),” Garrido said of the LeJeune home run, “if not for the personality he has. He is confident, he is aggressive and will pitch to contact. It’s that confidence he has that allows him to do that.”

Texas plated its final run in the seventh on three straight singles and a run-scoring double play.

“When you let any team hang around, much less (Texas), it hurts,” said associate head coach Tim Tadlock, who spoke in place of Spencer, who under NCAA rules was not allowed to comment after being ejected.

“When your walk leadoff guys ... they usually score. They’ve got a history of being real good at getting guys over and getting guys in, and that’s what happened today.”

The Red Raiders and Longhorns resume the series today at 6:30 p.m. at Rip Griffin Park.

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Hey (Watson) meat, the weekend isn't starting off too good for the Dead Raider baseball team or the girls softball team is it. Girls only got one hit in Norman and the other outfit did their El Foldo act again. LMAO

We have lived through another school year of the nuclear winter in Lubbock.

First pitch in Arlington today is 1:07 P.M.

I'm thinking by the end of the Rangers' season we will no longer enjoy the services of Spencer. Another year of our sentence will get Curry. One more year of our sentence will get Tuberville--unless incarceration gets him first.

No loyal Tech fan should have had to live through the period following December 30, 2009.